Alaska Demographics

Alaska is a less densely populated state of United States. It is estimated to have only 1.0 person per square mile and thus also considered as most sparsely populated area in the world. According to the census conducted by United States Census Bureau in June 1880, the total population of Alaska was estimated as 33,426. The census conducted on June 2, 1890 reported the total population size of Alaska as 32,052. The twelfth United States census conducted on 1st June 1900 showed that the total population size was 63,592 and that conducted on April 15, 1910 reported Alaska’s total population size as 64,356. The fourteenth census conducted on January 5, 1920 showed a decrease in the population size compared to that of 1910. The population size during this time was 55,036. The 1930 census estimated the total population of Alaska as 59,278. The population was found to be increased by 13246 people and reached 72,524 in 1940. According to the 1950 census the total population was 128,642. In 1960 census, the population size further showed an increase and reached 226,167. The census conducted on next year, that is 1970 reported the total population as 300,382. The twentieth census held on 1980 estimated the population size of Alaska as 401,851. The total population increased by 148192 people and reached 550,043 as per the 1990 census report.

According to the twenty second census conducted by United States Census Bureau on 2000, the total population of Alaska was 626,932. Among them 51.7% were Males and the rest 48.3% were females. 54.5% among the total population were married individuals and 45.5% were single. The percentage of individuals at and over 18 years of age were 69.6%, the percentage of median aged persons was 32.4 % and those at and above 65 years were 5.7 %. During this period Alaska was rated as 47th most populous state of U.S. The 2000 census also reported that 74 % of the Alaska’s population included White Americans, 4.3 % comprised the Black or African Americans and 19 % of them were American Indians and Alaska Natives. Asians made up 5.2 % of the total Alaska’s population and Hispanic or the Latino constituted 4.1 %. In addition Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander made up 0.9 % and only remaining 2.4 % were constituted by people from other race.

Alaska Race and Ancestry

Demographics of Alaska (csv)

By Race

White

Black

AIAN*

Asian

NHPI*

2000 (Total Population)

75.43%

4.46%

19.06%

5.24%

0.88%

2000 (Hispanic Only)

3.42%

0.33%

0.45%

0.16%

0.06%

2005 (Total Population)

74.71%

4.72%

18.77%

5.90%

0.88%

2005 (Hispanic Only)

4.32%

0.38%

0.48%

0.19%

0.05%

Growth 2000–05 (Total Population)

4.85%

12.03%

4.27%

19.23%

5.35%

Growth 2000–05 (Non-Hispanic Only)

3.49%

11.30%

4.02%

18.96%

5.86%

Growth 2000–05 (Hispanic Only)

33.56%

21.02%

14.52%

27.89%

-1.95%

As per the study conducted on 2005, the total population of Alaska was estimated as 663,661. This showed an increase of 5,906 0r 0.9 % compared to the previous year. As compared to the census conducted on 2000 there was an increase of 36729 people or 5.9 percentages. This shows a natural increase compared to the previous census of 36,590 people (that is 53,132 births minus 16,542 deaths), it also shows an increase due to net migration of about 1,181 people into the state. Immigration of people from places outside United States resulted in net increase of 5,800 people, and the migration of people from the country resulted in a net loss of 4,619 individuals. The American Community Survey conduced by the United States Census Bureau between 2005 to 2007 revealed that 68.5 % of the Alaska’s population included White or European Americans, 3.8 % comprised the African or Black Americans and 13.4 % comprised the American Indians and Alaska Natives. Asian Americans made up 4.6 of Alaska’s total population and Hispanics and Latino constituted 5.5%. In addition the Pacific Islander Americans made up 0.5% and only 1.4 % was comprised of people from other race and 7.2 % of two or more race. This American Community Survey conducted between 2005 and 2007 also gave details regarding the languages spoken in Alaska. And according to this report about 84.7 % of people above the age of five speak English at home, 3.5 %of Alaska’s total population speaks Spanish language at home and 2.2 % speaks Indo-European language other than Spanish at home. In addition 4.3 % speaks an Asian language at home and 5.3 % speaks other languages. Out of the total Alaskans 5.2% speaks one of the total native languages which include 22 indigenous languages. These languages come mainly under two main Language families. These two language families were Eskimo-Aleut and Na-Dene. Most of the Alaskan’s followed Christianity as their religion.

Alaska Languages

Eskimo-Aleut family

Aleut

Sirenik

Eskimo family

Central Alaskan Yup'ik

Central Siberian Yupik (Yuit)

Alutiiq (Pacific Gulf Yupik)

Naukan

Inuit family

Iñupiaq

Athabaksan-Eyak-Tlingit family

Tlingit

Eyak

Athabaskan family (spec. Northern Athabaskan)

Ahtna

Dena’ina (Tanaina)

Deg Xinag (Deg Hit'an)

Holikachuk (Innoko)

Koyukon

Upper Kuskokwim (Kolchan)

Lower Tanana (Tanana)

Tanacross

Upper Tanana

Gwich’in (Kutchin)

Hän

Haida language

Tsimshianic

Coast Tsimshian

The total population size of Alaska was estimated as 686,293 as per the census conducted by United States Census Bureau on July 1, 2008. This census result showed in increase in population size by 59,361 or 9.5% as compared to the last census conducted in 2000. This shows a natural increase compared to the 2000 census of 60,994 people (86,062 births minus 25,068 deaths), it also shows a decrease of 5,469 people due to net migration of people out of the country. Immigration of people from places out side the United States resulted in net increase of 4,418 people, and the migration of people from the country resulted in a net loss of 9,887 individuals. Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks are the three most populated places of Alaska, and out of the total population two-fifth lives in Anchorage alone.